Need some tips on recruiting new clients for my staffing agency!

79Tango · Feb 12, 2013

Where are you currently supplying nurses and how much do you pay?

BluntForceTrauma · Feb 12, 2013

Hello all!
I have a couple questions and i am hoping this is the right place to ask. I have recently taken over a staffing agency for traveling nurses and daily staffing but i am in a little bit of a rut.
I need some tips on recruiting new healthcare facilities to supply nurses to. In general what do you think is the best way to approach facilities? Who should i approach the CNO, HR, Staffing Director, DON?
If there is anyone with a background in recruitment or travel nursing from an agency view i would love yo pick your brain and ask you some questions!
Thanks!

Wow....seems like you should have done a little bit more research before you started this new endeavor.

NedRN · Feb 12, 2013

This is kind of a bizarre question to ask travel nurses. If we knew how to do that, we would all have our own agencies! OK, so I have done this myself but I use my own profile as marketing for myself. Your issues and approaches are somewhat different. Perhaps the best way to learn is to call hospitals and ask what they need in a staffing agency. Honest questions get honest answers. You will learn from such conversations. You can also call your established clients and ask them what it would take for them to take on a new agency. No pressure there as you already have a relationship with them.

Kylenelson · Feb 13, 2013

@79Tango Currently we have two hospitals in Northern California, one in Ft. Bragg and one in Clear Lake. Depending on the assignment the nurse receives it is anywhere between $40 - $50 an hour.

Kylenelson · Feb 13, 2013

@BluntForceTrauma I pretty much took over the company, in a way inherited it, this is why I need a few pointers. I have done plenty of research i just wanted to know from a nurses perspective who you would approach.

Kylenelson · Feb 13, 2013

This is kind of a bizarre question to ask travel nurses. If we knew how to do that, we would all have our own agencies! OK, so I have done this myself but I use my own profile as marketing for myself. Your issues and approaches are somewhat different. Perhaps the best way to learn is to call hospitals and ask what they need in a staffing agency. Honest questions get honest answers. You will learn from such conversations. You can also call your established clients and ask them what it would take for them to take on a new agency. No pressure there as you already have a relationship with them.

The reason I asked travel nurses is because i have asked else where and didn't get much of a response and i figured a travel nurse may have a good guess at address my question :)

Thanks for the tip. Usually when i do call hospitals they continue to forward me to different department and voicemails. But I agree with asking honest questions and begin to build a relationship with the hospitals.

I apprectiate your input.

NedRN · Feb 14, 2013

Fort Bragg eh? That one is a little scary with the bankruptcy. How is it working out for you? I thought about an OR assignment there a few months ago but decided the risk was too high.

Learn as you go is a good way. You have nothing to lose by calling. The method I use is also used by established agencies to open new accounts. There are ethical ways and unethical ways to do it and both involve submitting a traveler profile. The unethical way is to do it without the traveler's permission. Ideally you have a traveler that wants to go to a specific area or hospital and you confirm that there is indeed an opening for such a traveler. Word of mouth, agency sites, advertising, and even hospital HR sites to confirm permanent needs at least. You can do an end run around HR (usually the best way to go) by either you or the traveler cold calling the NM of the involved specialty and introducing yourself and the traveler and ask if you can submit the profile - have it ready to go by email. Follow up and if the manager is receptive (particularly if the traveler called and that turns into an interview on the spot), now you have a wedge to get through to HR: "Manager so and so would like one of our travelers".

While I don't know how full time contract people do it (I suspect with great stories of available travelers and great bill rates), I think you are wasting your time without their having a need that you can fill. No one wants to fix their roof when it not raining. Unless you get very lucky.

Are you in Chico?